A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion in one go, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the “scanning”-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
A lithographic apparatus is usually provided with a substrate table which is arranged to hold a conventional substrate in position. When the substrate is a non-standard size or shape (i.e. irregular) it is difficult or impossible to hold the substrate in position as the substrate table is not configured to hold an irregular substrate. Similarily, in processing outside of the lithographic apparatus (e.g. cleaning of the substrate), apparatus is commonly configured to accommodate conventional substrates, making it difficult or impossible to hold an irregular substrate in position during such processing. To solve these problems, the irregular substrate may be bonded (e.g. glued) to a standard substrate, and the standard substrate is then held in position in a conventional manner. The standard substrate then becomes a substrate carrier. However, the bonding of the irregular substrate to a regular substrate is not ideal.